ERIC HOFFMAN is counsel in the Litigation group in New York, where he focuses his practice on employment and labor law issues. Eric previously served as in-house employment counsel to Barclays. He brings to bear both his considerable experience as a litigator and his insight from serving as in-house counsel, to solve problems for clients in an efficient and effective way.
Eric has represented and counseled clients in a diverse range of industries with respect to a wide variety of labor and employment matters, including federal and state anti-discrimination statutes, wage payment and overtime laws, whistleblower statutes, the Family and Medical Leave Act, collective bargaining and other labor relations issues. Eric has defended collective action and class action cases, as well as single-plaintiff cases, both in court and in arbitration proceedings. Eric also regularly advises clients on the enforcement of restrictive covenants, and has prosecuted and defended numerous unfair competition cases involving breach of fiduciary duty, breach of non-compete/non-solicit obligations, and trade secret misappropriation.
In addition to his ongoing involvement in the firm’s representation of major companies in national wage-and-hour and discrimination class actions, representative litigation matters led by Eric include:
- Defense of a major media company against discrimination and whistleblower retaliation claims brought by an employee terminated while on disability leave. Eric obtained summary judgment in the employer’s favor and successfully defended that judgment on appeal to the Second Circuit.
- Defense of leading entertainment company in a wage and hour class action. While a competitor of the client settled a similar case on a class basis for millions of dollars, in the course of hard-fought motion practice and discovery, Eric convinced plaintiffs’ counsel that class status was unattainable and the matter was favorably settled on an individual basis.
- Defense of a large international bank against a former employee’s claims of religious discrimination and harassment. The plaintiff agreed to withdraw the case for no compensation after Eric took his deposition.
- Defense of a top telecommunications company in a wage and hour class and collective action. Eric and his team were brought in to replace another law firm after the client lost an interlocutory appeal and his strategic advice resulted in a timely and efficient class settlement.
- Defense of a top human resources consulting firm against discrimination and retaliation claims brought by a terminated employee. The plaintiff agreed to a settlement favorable to the employer after Eric took her deposition.
- Defense of a major risk consulting firm and its employee against unfair competition claims brought by a competitor arising out of a non-solicitation agreement. Eric successfully argued against the key temporary injunctive relief sought by the competitor.
- Prosecution of a trade secret misappropriation case against a manufacturing client’s competitor and three former employees. After Eric obtained a court-ordered forensic inspection of an electronic device used by one of the individual defendants, the defendants agreed to settle the matter.
- Defense of a hedge fund against contract and labor law claims brought by a former portfolio manager. Eric aggressively defended the case, seeking partial dismissal and asserting counterclaims against the plaintiff, resulting in an early, favorable settlement.